Car-uncoupling device



(No Model.)

W. O. RUTLEDGE.

GAR UNGOUPLING DEVICE.

Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

Arron/ms.

N. PETERS, Phwmnograph nr. wmmngwn. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lVILLlAM O. RUTLEDGE, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

CAR-UNCOUPLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,301, dated December 11, 1888.

Application tiled August 2l, 1888. Serial No. 283,362. (No model.)

To @ZZ 20h/07M it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. RUTLEDGE, of Galveston, in the coui'lty ot (.lralveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and Iniproved Apliaratus t'or lr'ncoupling Cars, ot' which the following is a full, clear7 and exact description.

This invention relates to devices for uncoupling' railway-mrs, and has for its object to provide an apparatus so constructed that the uncoupling may be quickly and readily effected from either the side or top of a car or from the locomotive.

The invention consists in an apparatus for uncoupling cars constructed and arranged as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part otf this specification, in Which similar letters ot reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an end view of the body of a car With the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line uc Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, With parts broken away, on the line g/ y, Fig. l; and Fig. e is a detail of the apparatus.

In the construct-ion of this invention a U- shaped metallic strap, l, is located on an ordinary draw-head7 2, and has a hole in line with the coupling-pin hole of draw-head for the insertion of a coupling-pin, 3, the couplingpin 3 resting on the strap l.. The latter is movable vertically on the draw-head, and is connected by a rod, 4, with the upper horizontal arm, 5, of a plate, 6, movable vertically in the casing 7, With folded edges 7', forming grooves and secured to the end of the car, the plate 6 having a lower horizontal arm, 8, resting upon a coiled spring, 9, located in a box or casing, l0, on the end of the car at the lower end of edges 7. The plate 6 is normally held up in the casing 7 by means of the spring 9, so that the coupling-pin 3 is held by strap l in position for coupling.

The coupling-pin may be coupled from either side of the car by means of levers ll, pivoted to the car and having their inner ends projecting over the upper arm, 5, of plate 6. Upon lifting up the outer end of one of the levers 1 1 its inner end presses against the arm 5 and forces down the plate (3, compressing the coiled spring 9 beneath the arm 8, and by means of rod et moving the strap l downward and carrying the pin 3 into coupled position. The plate (i is held down against the tension of spring il by means of alip or projection, l2, on a horizontally-movable plate, 13, projecting through a slot, ll, in the wall ol' the car and a slot, lt', in the casing 7, and movable over the upper end of plate l. 'lhe plate 13 is mounted on the upper end of a spring-strip, l5, secured to the inside ot the car, and is formed with bent arms lo, which project through the slot lt and bearagainst the inner ends of levers lT, pivoted to the end of the car and extending out to the sides of the same. By pulling on the outer end of one of the levers 17 at eitherside ot' the car the inner end of the lever will press the adjacent arm 16 through the slot ll, thereby moving back the plate 13 and releasing its lip l2 i'rom the upper end of plate (i. The latter is then thrown up by spring 9, and thereby raises strap l and uncouples pin Si. The release ol' lip l2 from plate ti and the uncoupling may also be effected from the top ot' the car by a vertical lever, 18, pivoted to the end of the car and having one end bearing against one of the arms lli and the other pro jecting above the top of the car. v The uncoupling may be also effected from the locomotive of a train by the engineer by means ot' a vertical lever, 19, pivoted to the end of the car and having one end bearing against one of the arms lo' and its other end pivotally connected to the end of a horizontal lever, 20, pivoted beneath the car and having an operating rod or cord, 2l, extending to the cab of the locomotive.

It will thus be seen that by means ot' this device an effective uncoupling apparatus is provided which may be readily and quickly operated from either side of a car, from the top, or from the locomotive by the engineer.

In case ot a car or several cars being uncoupled by the engineer, the brakes will be automatically applied by the detachment of the brake-couplin gs.

Having thus described my iuveI1tion,\vl1at I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ism

l. In an uncoupling apparatus for railwaycars, a draw-head provided With a verticallymovable coupling-pin support and lifting'- fraine, a spring holding the coupling-pin sup- TOO port in raised position, mechanism, substantially as described, for lowering the couplingpin support, a catch for holding the pin-support in lowered position, and a mechanism, substantially as described, for releasing the catch, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an uncoupling apparatus for railwaycars, a draw-head provided with a verticallyinovable coupling-pin support and liftingframe, a spring holding the coupling-pin support in raised position, a catch for holding` the pin-support in lowered position, and a lever mechanism for releasing' the catch and electing the uncoupling ot a car, substantially shown and described.

3. An uncoupling apparatus for railwaycars, consisting of a draw-head provided with va vertically-movable coupling-pin support and lifting-frame, a coiled spring holding the pin-support and lifting-'frame in raised positiona spring-actuated catch holding the pinlifting frame in lowered position, levers for depressing` the pin-lifting frame, pivoted to the end of the car and having one end located adjacent to the side of the car and the other projecting over the top of lifting-fram@ levers for releasing the spring-catch, pivoted to the end of the car and having' one end projecting at the side of the car and the other end bearing against the spring-catch, a lever pivoted to the end of the kcar with one end projecting above the top of the car and the other end bearing against the spring-catch, and a lever pivoted to the end of the car with one end bearing against the spring-catch Vand the other pivotally connected to the end of a horizontal lever pivoted beneath the car and having a connection extending to the cab of a locomotive, substantially as shown and described.

li. An uncoupling apparatus for railwaycars, consisting of a draw-head, 2, the coupling-pin-supporting strap l, vertically movable thereon, the vertically-movable plate G, located in the casing 7 and having a horizontal arm, S, at its lower end, resting upon a coiled spring, 9, in a casing, l0, and a horizontal arm, 5, at its upper end connected by a rod, 4, with the pin-supporting strap l, the horizontal plate 13 with lip l2, and arms 1G, projecting into slot 14 in the wall of car and slot 14 in casing 7, and mounted on springarm l5, horizontal pivoted levers ll, having one end extending over arm 5 of plate 6 and the other located at the sides of the car, horizontal pivoted levers i7, having one end bearing against arms lt and the other located at the sides of the car, a vertical pivoted lever, 18, havin g one end bearing against the plate 13 an d the other end located at the top of the car, and a vertical lever, 19, having one end bearing against the plate 13, and a horizontal lever, 20, having one end pivotally connected to lever lil and the other end provided with a connecting-rod, 2l, lead-ing to the eab ofthe locomotive, substantially as shown and described.

wiiLLiAM o. RUTLEDGE.

Vitnesses:

H. O. SHAW, GEO. W. DOLL. 

